Track arrangement for imparting a slewing movement to wheeled cars



United States Patent 1111 3,543,686

[72] lnventors Per BorjeFonden [50] Field of Search 246/347, Linkoping; 378, 415; 104/35, 105,130,112 Bjorn Sture Wiklund, Norrkoping, Sweden 1 [21] Appl.N0. 835,886 R n s CIt d [22] Filed Junell, 1969 UNITED STATES PATENTS Continuation SEND-622,180 1,508,453 9/1924 Hooper 104/35 March 10,196Zaband0ned- 3,348,497 10/1967 Mattson 104/130 [45] Patented Dec. 1,1970 [73] Assignee Borgs Fabriks AB Norrkoping, Sweden [32] Priority March 22, 1966 [3 3] Sweden [31] No. 3741/66 [54] TRACK ARRANGEMENT FOR IMPARTIN G A SLEWING MOVEMENT TO WHEELED CARS 9 Claims, 11 Drawing Figs.

[52] US. Cl. 104/35, 104/130 51 Int. Cl B61h 13 00, B61f 13/00, E01b 26/00 Primary Examiner- Arthur L. La Point Assistant Examiner-Robert Saifer Attorney-Eric Y, Munson ABSTRACT: A track system for cars which travel on rails, the cars having axles for their wheels which rotate perpendicularly to the plane of the rails or tracks. Fixed or movable supplemental rail sections are positioned between the main tracks and which supplemental rail sections, when encountered by the wheels of the cars, will cause the cars to slew or twist and thus perform a desired rotative or turning movement.

Patented Dec. 1, mo 3 543 686 v I I v 7 INVENTOR.

Patented Dec. 1, 1970 Sheet Q of3 INVENTOR.

TRACK ARRANGEMENT FOR IMPARTING A SLEWING MOVEMENT T WHEELED CARS This application is a continuation of Pat. application Ser. No. 622,180 filed Mar. 10, 1967, now abandoned.

The present arrangement relates to a track system provided with rails on which wheeled cars travel, one side of which wheels run along the rails and rotate on axles that are alined perpendicularly to theplaneof the rails.

It has been previously demonstrated that it is possible to perform right-anglechanges in the direction of movement of cars, as well as to negotiate small-radius curves. With the present invention, the uses are extended further and it will be herein made apparent that a number of unique movements are possible and can be imparted to the cars.

In the structure of the present invention, the basic factor is the characteristics of .the wheels that, since the axle of rotation is perpendicular to the plane of the tracks, it is able to freely move while supported in the plane of the tracks, provided the tracks are laid wherever it is desired that the wheels should move. A further characteristic of the wheel is that it can be supported at any point around its disk-shaped contact area and at both its outer and its inner bearing edge, as viewed from the center of the car.

By means of the structure of the present invention, a series of completely new movements can be obtained for the cars, through the placing of additional fixed or movable rails between a pair of parallel rails which normally form the main track for the cars. The movements sought are slewing movements of the cars and it is the carrying out of this slewing, and possibly in combination with simultaneous movement along the track, that the extra rails are employed.

In the accompanying drawings, wherein illustrative embodiments of the invention are disclosed,

FIG. 1 shows one of the wheels of a car;

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of a turning section of the rails or track;

FIG. 3 shows the structure of FIG. 2 viewed from above and with the car diagrammatically shown It in two different positions;

FIG. 4 is a perspectiveview of the which the slewing of the car occurs;

FIG. 5 and 6 show the structure of FIG. 4 as viewed from above and with cars in two different positions;

FIG. 7 shows a zero-radius curve in perspective, and

FIGS. 8 to 11 show the same as viewed from above and with the cars in different positions.

The turning section of the tracks as shown in FIG. 2, comprises a pair of straight rails l forming part of a principal track. These rails 1 are interrupted for a certain distance by a pair of arcuate rail lengths or sections 2. Inside of these rail lengths is a pair of straight rail lengths 3 united at their ends by a pair of arcuate rail lengths 4.

The function of theseturning rails will be made clear from FIG. 3 wherein the rail designations are the same as in FIG. 1. An incoming car proceeding from the left and provided with four wheels and represented by a square having its lines joining the wheels, is shown in the two positions 5 and 6. The bearing points of the wheels have also been marked by a short dash line.

In the position indicated at 5 it will be seen that the wheels 5a at the rear of the car are supported in the conventional way at the outer bearing edges and are guided by the inside of the rails I, while the front wheels 6a have made the transition from the rails l to being supported by the inner rail lengths 3, the wheels 6a being supported at their inner bearing edges and guided by the outsideof these rails. When the car reaches a position where its center coincides with the center point for the rails 2 and 4 it can not only continue straight ahead but can also perform a slewing movement to the position indicated at 6 in the FIG. There it will be seen how two of the wheels are supported on the outer bearing edges of the supporting wheels by rail lengths 2, while the other two wheels are supported by the inner bearing edges of the supporting wheels on the rail lengths 4.

portion of the tracks in Many modifications of this turning section are possible. For example, if the turning stretch comprises the terminal point on the straight track, in which case rail lengths 2 can be united with each other in the way shown by the dotted lines, while one of the rails 4 nearest to the dotted rail may be eliminated.

FIG. 4 discloses an example of a slewing section. Therein 7 designates rails forming part of the straight track. At least one of these rails, and both of them if the car center is to describe a straight movement, makes a transition in the slewing section to arcuate rails designated at 8 and 9. Between these arcuate rails is an additional rail system arranged in the form of a cross and indicated at 10. In order to improve the running on the slewing section, an inner track 11, having no bearing function but merely a guiding function, may be included. The FIG. also shows a type of drive arrangement comprising a chain 12 on which flights 13 are fixed, the chain and its attached flights running in a chain guide channel 14 provided for the location of the chain. Levers 15 improve the running of the car along the slewing section, in that each of the levers is journaled on a vertical shaft 16, and is swung out when its trailing part is actuated by the front wheel of a car entering from the left, whereupon the part of the lever that is alined toward the rear wheel of the car causes this wheel to follow the rail system that is laid in the cross formation over the track.

The functioning of the system will be clear from FIGS. 5 and 6, wherein a car entering from the left is shown in two successive positions, the first position being shown in FIG. 5, and disclosing the function of the lever 15. Said lever 15 is otherwise normally kept open in the position shown in FIG. 6, by means of a spring 27 shown in FIG. 5.

It will be seen from the drawings that the car is forced to slew through 90 during its passage through the slewing section and also that the car is borne in its first position by the outer bearing edges of three wheels and the inner bearing edge of one wheel. In the second position the car is shown after about 30 of slewing and it will be seen here that two diagonally opposed wheels are supported by outer bearing edges while the other two wheels continuously alter their supporting points during the slewing of the car, one of them being an outer bearing point which changes to an inner bearing point, and the other changes from being an inner bearing point to becoming an outer bearing point.

FIG. 7 shows a zero-radius curve, or one wherein the rails 18 and 19 comprise the end of one track and the rails 20 and 21 the end of another track arranged at right angles to the rails 18 and 19. Rails 18 and 20 are united in a relatively sharp corner while the rails 19 and 21 are united by an intermediate quarter-circle bearing rail 22 which, for the sake of smooth running, is supplemented by an inner rail 23 of purely guiding function and lesser. height than the rail section 22. Adjacent to the sharp inner corner or meeting of the rails 18 and 20, are two movable rail sections 24 and 25 having supporting function along the outer curved sides 25a and having purely guiding function along the inner irregular sides 26a. These rail sections 24 and 25 are pivoted on stub axles 26 and 27 respectively.

The function of this device is illustrated in FIGS. 8 to 11 wherein a car entering from the left, is shown in four different positions. In the position shown in FIG. 8 the car has just reached a point where the inner front wheel 60 turns rail section 24 around its stub axle 26 so that, as shown in FIG. 9, the

rear wheel 5a automaticallyv runs up around the curved part 25a of the rail section 24, at the same time that the corresponding front wheel continues on the curved part of the rail sections 25. Rail sections 24 and 25 are so shaped that, with due allowance for the pivoting of the rail sections, the outer wheel relative to the zero-radius curve will continuously be in contact with the outer rail 22. FIG. 10 illustrates the function of the inner guide rail 23, which is to keep the car on the rail 22.

FIG. 11 shows how the car, having completely left the zeroradius curve, automatically resets the pivoted rail sections 24 and 25 to their correct positions for receiving a car, whether from the left or from the right.

A number of modifications to the zero-radius curve are possible. Thus, alternative means for the movement of rail sections 24 and 25, other than their being pivoted about a center point, may be employed and it is further possible to have fixed rail lengths with cutouts for the locating stubs of the rear wheels. Similarly, angles other than 90 are possible.

Of the embodiments shown, it can be said that these are to be understood as being merely examples of a number of the movements made possible by the described structure. For example, a modification wherein the locating stubs of the bearing wheels are located outside of the main track, can be used and this would result in a somewhat different arrangement of tracklaying while retaining the same principle. Also, the plane of the track need not be horizontal and the wheel axles vertical, but can be oriented in any direction in space, provided that the rolling axis of the wheels is mainly at right angles to the plane of the track.

Within the scope of the invention, different movements of the cars can be secured, and cars with more or less than four wheels and with deviations from the rectangular placing of these wheels can be utilized.

Having thus described embodiments of the invention, it is obvious that the same is not to be restricted thereto, but is broad enough to comprehend all structures coming within the scope of the annexed claims.

We claim:

1. Railway conveyor apparatus comprising:

a. a track system having two main rails which are parallel for most of their length, said track having a turning location intermediate two substantially straight axially alined sections where carrier vehicles may be turned while continuing their movement along the main rails;

. carrier vehicles having wheel means contacting the top and one side of said main rails, the axles of said wheel means being disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane of the main rails;

c. at least one of said main rails having an outwardly convex arcuate portion at said turning location;

. At least one supplemental rail means disposed between the main rails at said turning location operative to permit turning movement of the vehicle in the plane of the track, and being disposed so that at least some of the wheels transfer from movement along the main rails to movement along the supplemental rail means during the turning movement;

said supplemental rail means forminga cross with interruptions at the point of intersection; and

. the distance between said main rails at the turning location corresponding to the diagonal distance between a pair of the vehicle wheels.

2. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said rails of said cross-forming supplemental rail means is provided with switching means responsive to passage of a first wheel for guiding a following wheel onto a cross-forming rail causing turning of the vehicle body.

3. Apparatus as set forth in claim 1, wherein one of said cross-forming rails of said supplemental rail means is provided with a switch lever swingable in the plane of the track and ar ranged so that a passing first wheel swings the lever into a position where a following wheel is run onto a cross-forming rail causing turning of the vehicle body.

4. Railway conveyor apparatus comprising:

a. a track system having two main rails which are parallel for most of their length, said track having a turning location including angularly intersecting rail sections where carrier vehicles are given a change of direction before continuing their movement along the main rails;

. carrier vehicles having wheel means contacting the top and one side of said main rails, the axles of said wheel means being disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane of the main rails;

. the outer of said main rails having an outwardly convex arcuate portion at said turning location and the inner of said main rails intersectin at angled junction' and d. supplemental rail means isposed between the main rails at said turning location and arranged adjacent the junction of said inner rails for keeping the outer wheels on the outer rail and supporting and guiding the inner wheels while the inner wheels pass said angled junction of the inner rails.

5. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, wherein the supplemental rail means includes curved rail sections pivotal in the plane of the track for movement into switching position of the following wheels by the lead wheels of said vehicle.

6. Apparatus as set forth in claim 4, said supplemental rail means including a pair of curved rail sections, one on each side of the junction of said inner rails, said rail sections being positioned so that the first of said curved rail sections is passed by a leading wheel which runs on a straight rail, and then swung by said wheel so that the following wheel is guided onto said section, the second of said curved sections receiving and guiding a leading wheel and being swung by said wheel to a position where a following wheel runs on a straight rail.

7. An apparatus for a track system utilizing two parallel rails comprising, a car having wheels which contact at one side with the rails, said car having axles for the wheels which are alined substantially perpendicular to the plane of the track; supplemental rail sections disposed between the parallel rails and operative to cause turning movement of the car in the plane of the track, the wheels being capable of running on rails 7 and on intermediate rails 10, with the wheel axles outside of some of the rails and inside of the others during the turning of the car and its movement along the track, at least one rail 7 at the turning point being convexly arcuate in order to insure a distance between the rails that corresponds to the diagonal distance between the wheels, while the supplemental rails l0 form a cross with interruptions at the points of intersection.

8. An apparatus for a track system utilizing two parallel rails comprising, a car having wheels which contact at one side with the rails, said car having axles for the wheels which are alined substantially perpendicular to the plane of the track; supplemental rail sections disposed between the parallel rails and operative to cause turning movement of the car in the plane of the track, with a track forming an angle of wherein the sides of the interior angle 18 are straight while the opposed part of the outer rail 22 are arcuate, the curved supplemental rails 24, 25 being arranged adjacent to the inner rail 18 for the purpose of keeping the outer wheels on the outer rail 22 while the inner rails pass the angled part of the inner rail with the aid of both inner rail 18 and the intermediate rails 24, 25.

9. Railway conveyor apparatus comprising:

a. a track system having two main rails which are parallel for most of their length, said track having a turning location intermediate two substantially straight axially alined sections where carrier vehicles may be turned while continuing their movement along the main rails;

b. carrier vehicles having wheel means contacting the top and one side of said main rails, the axles of said wheel means being disposed substantially perpendicular to the plane of the main rails;

c. at least one of said main rails having an outwardly convex arcuate portion at said turning location;

d. at least one supplemental rail means disposed between the main rails at said turning location operative to permit turning movement of the vehicle in the plane of the track, and being disposed so that at least some of the wheels transfer from movement along the main rails to movement along the supplemental rail means during the turning movement;

. the other of said main rails having an outwardly convex arcuate portion at said turning location; and

. said supplemental rail means comprising straight, parallel rail sectionsopposite the arcuate portions of said main rails and transversely extending outwardly convex rail sections positioned between the ends of said straight sections. 

